As the title of this post hints, I am veryveryvery frustrated at a certain program called Microsoft Access. Argh! Last night was my computer class and— in brief— the aforementioned program is not working for me. As if finding out that I have to redo a significant portion of my assignments wasn’t enough, I get home and realize that the ol’ program won’t even let me do my homework! If anyone has any kind of Access expertise, let me know!!!!Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith. For the sake of the joy that lay before him he endured the cross, despising its shame, and has taken his seat at the right of the throne of God. Consider how he endured such opposition from sinners, in order that you may not grow weary and lose heart. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood. You have also forgotten the exhortation addressed to you as sons: "My son, do not disdain the discipline of the Lord or lose heart when reproved by him; for whom the Lord loves, he disciplines; he scourges every son he acknowledges." Endure your trials as "discipline"; God treats you as sons. For what "son" is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are without discipline, in which all have shared, you are not sons but bastards. (Heb. 12:1-8)Pretty awesome, right? That last verse really kind of grabbed my attention: “without discipline…you are not sons but bastards.” Wowza! So pretty much suffering is good! It is what makes us legitimate children of God and heirs to heaven. Plus, I love how St. Paul tells us to toughen up, for we ain’t done nothing yet: “In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood.” Suffering is real and present in all of our lives, whether it be the computer program that won’t cooperate or something more serious. St. Paul (Hebrews is by him, isn’t it?) continues:
Besides this, we have had our earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them. Should we not (then) submit all the more to the Father of spirits and live? They disciplined us for a short time as seemed right to them, but he does so for our benefit, in order that we may share his holiness. At the time, all discipline seems a cause not for joy but for pain, yet later it brings the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who are trained by it. So strengthen your drooping hands and your weak knees. Make straight paths for your feet, that what is lame may not be dislocated but healed. (Heb. 9-13)
I’m not going babble on any longer with my unqualified commentary. Besides, I think these verses really speak for themselves, and I encourage you to read them; don’t just skim it—try to actually read it, word-for-word. I think it just might help you. I know it helped me. Sure, my computer is still giving me grief, life isn’t always pretty…but it’s more than all that. God has a greater purpose for us—for you and for me. That purpose is heaven. And no matter how bad this world gets we’ve always got his love and his promise to look forward to. So, “Cheer up, chaps!”
P.S. In case you don’t already know about it, the USCCB (United States Council of Catholic Bishops) has a great resource on their website for searching the Bible, getting the daily Mass readings, or retrieving passages. That’s what I used to locate these verses here so I didn’t have to retype them. You can also search by word or phrase. Sooo helpful! Oh, and you can do the same with the CCC (Catechism of the Catholic Church).
0 comments:
Post a Comment